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Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Launch of Irish Graveyards

Thanks to a post at Irish Genealogy News alerting us to the launch of IrishGraveyards. The website is the result of GPS and eye mapping by a surveying company. The company then creates a digital map of the graveyard and erects a sign showing the names and locations of those buried in the graveyard.

The website allows you to search the graveyards to locate specific graves or to browse through a graveyard. The website contains a map showing graveyards which have been surveyed. The majority are in the north and west. There are photographs of each of the headstones.

I searched the site for 4 of my Northern Ireland surnames - Agnew, Birt, Lagan and McElwee. I drew a blank with Agnew and Birt. However, the were a large number of both Lagans and McElwees. The McElwees on this particular site do not come from near my McElwee family. However, my search for Lagan has proved more fruitful.

My gggg grandparents Andrew and Rosanna Lagan (neeMcElwee) are buried at Swatragh, Derry. That graveyard is not yet part of Irish Graveyards. However, both the new and the old graveyard at Maghera have been surveyed. There are 77 Lagans buried in Maghera which is less than 10 km from Swatragh. Although the majority of the burials occurred in the 1900s, there are several for the 1800s. Making a connection with some of them could prove a challenge, but at least I know a possible place to look!

Erected by Patrick Lagan in memory of his father Andrew Lagan who died 21st May 1853, aged 95 years. Also his mother Rosie Lagan, alias McElwee who died 8th October, 1830 aged 52 years.

Also his brother Dominick died 3rd April 1855, aged ?? and also his brother John? who died 18?